Hospital in the town where I grew up, you were required to cover their free clinic as a condition of privileges. There was a primary care clinic, “VD” clinic (that dates me), ob/GYN clinic, etc. I know my family used it in years past.

By the time I came through for training, most of those clinics closed. A few older docs ran them, the clinics closed with their retirement.

So now you may need two docs where in the past you had one. And the uncompensated care now has to be compensated, one way or another. That older doc that used to do it for free, and I got to listen to his old sea stories.

No longer.